China’s southern technology hub of Shenzhen has expanded the scale of its lockdown to cover the city’s manufacturing centres, as local authorities rush to contain a fresh Covid-19 outbreak involving a “more contagious and elusive” variant of the coronavirus.
Under the most stringent measures imposed on the city in nearly half a year, all major events, including trade shows and large-scale meetings, have been called off in the industrial districts of Longgang and Longhua, home to factories belonging to Apple supplier Foxconn Technology Group, according to a flurry of government announcements published since Monday.
Some in-door businesses located in those districts, such as cinemas, karaoke rooms and gyms, have been ordered to close through Thursday.
Similar restrictions have also been put in place in the commercial centres of Futian and Luohu, which saw six subdistricts – including Huaqiangbei, home to the world’s largest electronics wholesale market – put under lockdown on Monday.